The United States and Japan will step up their defence cooperation to deal with the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea as tensions in East Asia remain high, officials from the two allies said on Thursday.

New campaign to target indigenous smokers

The federal government will target indigenous smokers in a new $10 million advertising campaign.

Rural Health Minister Fiona Nash said the Don't Make Smokes Your Story focuses on the values within indigenous communities such as the health and wellbeing of their families.

The advertisements will be rolled out nationally across television, print, radio and online from Sunday night.

Indigenous people are almost three times more likely to be smokers than other Australians.

The 2014-15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey released last week showed 39 per cent of indigenous people above the age of 15 were daily smokers.

That was down from 44.6 per cent in 2008 and 48.6 in 2002.

The government is committed to halving the 2008 smoking rate for indigenous people aged 18 or older, of 47 per cent, by 2018.

"It is important that we reduce tobacco smoking among all Australians," Senator Nash said.

"But the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 15 are 2.8 times more likely than other Australians to be daily smokers means there is a clear need for focused encouragement and support.

"It is estimated that smoking accounts for one in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths and about one-third of their burden from cancers and cardiovascular disease."